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Light 5
6:45:39 PM Nation: Oh, that's right, you got a note from a Dr. M. 6:46:51 PM | Edited 6:47:00 PM Light: Light had, and he wasn't sure what to do, so he asked Rust to scout. 6:53:14 PM Light: ... I read your file. 6:58:19 PM Nation: Feather: My file? 6:59:06 PM Light: Your medical file. 6:59:28 PM Light: At the time I didn't have much choice. We thought you hadn't really mutated. 7:00:09 PM Nation: Feather: Well, what was in there? 7:02:03 PM Light: I honestly don't remember. 7:04:16 PM Nation: Feather: Oh. Well, good. Need to keep some secrets. 7:05:41 PM Light: The only thing important at the time was whether or not you were really ill, so... 7:06:55 PM Nation: Feather: Still. Thanks for being concerned. 7:07:42 PM Light: If Rust hadn't brought it to my attention... 7:07:48 PM Nation: Feather: And stealing me from the hospital and maybe ending your career. 7:09:19 PM Light: I wasn't exactly ambitious. 7:12:19 PM Nation: Feather: ... why don't humans take compliments? 7:12:31 PM Nation: Feather: Why do you make it so hard to just say 'thank you'. 7:12:39 PM Light: Humans do, I just apparently don't. 7:13:03 PM Nation: Feather: you should learn. 7:13:09 PM Nation: She smiles, ever so slightly. 7:13:16 PM Light: You're welcome? Right? 7:14:00 PM Nation: Feather: That is the normal response to 'thank you', yes. 7:15:22 PM Light: Light smiles too, a bit. 7:20:21 PM Nation: Feather: What did you think of Dr. Mercius? 7:20:44 PM Light: Like I said, he was squirrelly. 7:20:52 PM Light: Possibly because he realized you weren't really mutating. 7:21:10 PM Nation: Feather I wonder why he disappeared himself, though. 7:23:08 PM Light: He might be in on it. 7:23:11 PM Light: In which case... 7:25:27 PM Nation: Feather: Rust can take care of himself. 7:26:52 PM Light: I wasn't worried about him. He *was* only scouting. 7:31:07 PM Nation: Feather: If he was in on it, he would have stayed to keep tabs on me. Maybe even moved me to a more secure facility. 7:32:56 PM Light: That sounds right, but I know so little it's hard to take anything for granted. 7:35:16 PM Nation: FEather: ... that's true. 7:35:52 PM Nation: Rust returns! Coming out of the closet he came in through, with a mug of something strong-smelling in hand. 7:37:36 PM Light: Didn't bring enough for everyone, I see. But no ambush? 7:38:29 PM Nation: Rust: Your fragile human constitution couldnt handle it. And she just got out of hospital. 7:38:55 PM Nation: Rust: But no, no ambush, just a guy in a back room who looks like he hasn't slept in days and hasn't showered in weeks. 7:38:57 PM Light: Really? I vaguely remember my fragile human constitution drinking you under the table a few times. 7:39:50 PM Nation: Rust: ... we could sit here all day and listen to your vile and odious lies about who drank who under the table, but we have more pressing issues, don't we? 7:40:23 PM Light: Indeed we do. 7:40:39 PM Light: All right, I'll go meet him, I suppose. 7:47:50 PM Light: Care to make a door for me, or would you prefer I take my fragile human constitution for a walk and expose our hiding place? 7:48:36 PM Nation: He nods at the closet. "You can just take that one right there. It'll last for another hour." 7:51:14 PM Light: And I get back the same way? 7:52:24 PM Nation: Rust: just make a note of the door you come out of, and yeah. It leads to a storage closet in a tear-down across the street from the pub in question. 7:52:53 PM Light: Oh, good. 7:53:14 PM Light: Light bows to Rust and Feather in a very over-the-top manner, and opens the door in question! 7:54:41 PM Nation: It looks like a closet, but you know the way the magic works is that it activates on passing through over the threshold, rather than just benig an always-open portal. 7:54:54 PM Light: Light goes through it! 7:56:04 PM Nation: The door closes behind you. 7:56:08 PM Nation: You're in a closet. 7:56:20 PM Nation: The same closet. 7:58:12 PM Light: Light opens the door again. 7:58:44 PM Nation: You're still in the house. 7:58:59 PM Nation: Rust: Oh, my mistake. 7:59:10 PM Light: *Was* it, really? 7:59:22 PM Light: You know, I remember *other* things from the bad old days, Rust... 7:59:42 PM Nation: Rust takes a sip. "My delicate elven constitution can't stake this alcohol. 7:59:50 PM Nation: Rust: Okay, try again. 8:00:04 PM Light: Light does. 8:00:36 PM Nation: It works this time! There's a sense of vertigo as you're trasnported across town. 8:03:45 PM Light: Light opens the door and heads for the bar! 8:05:30 PM Nation: This really is a cruddy area of town, clearly. 8:07:51 PM Light: Light still heads for it. He doesn't look especially out of place, really. 8:08:47 PM Nation: More to the point, he looks big and imposing, so no one really bothers him. 8:09:43 PM Light: Light steps in. 8:11:34 PM Nation: The place is dim, and smelly. no one looks at you as you come, and there's only a handful of people in here. 8:13:17 PM Light: Light looks for a bartender and tells him he's here to speak with Dr. M. 8:16:11 PM Nation: The bartender nods toward a door covered with an old bedsheet as a curtain. 8:17:42 PM Light: Light buys a beer and heads in there. 8:18:33 PM Nation: He gives you a beer in a mug that wasn't so much cleaned as held under running lukewarm water before being filled up again. 8:19:35 PM Light: Light takes it and still heads in there. 8:22:00 PM Nation: You head in the back, and find the beleagured Dr. Mercius, sitting there with a knife on his lap and sipping at some coffee. Rust was right, he looks like he's been living rough. 8:22:11 PM Light: You look like hell. 8:22:35 PM Nation: Mercius: Haven't been sleeping much. 8:22:58 PM Light: Indeed. What seems to be the problem? 8:27:01 PM Nation: Mercius: Well, it's your friend. Who I understand has disappeared from the hospital. 8:27:14 PM Light: What about her? 8:29:52 PM Nation: Mercius: I'm sure you know by now that she's not really mutated. 8:30:02 PM Light: Yes. 8:30:08 PM Light: What I can't work out is what your part in all this is. 8:32:55 PM Nation: Mercius: ... during the war, I was a medic. I don't recall if I mentioned that or not. 8:34:14 PM Light: No, but I'm not surprised. 8:37:19 PM Nation: He rubs his eyes. "I treated a lot of soldiers, and a lot of operatives. Dealt with a lot of cases of mutation, obviously." 8:38:42 PM Light: Light nods. 8:38:47 PM Light: That's why you went into it. 8:40:30 PM Nation: Mercius nodded. "I was there when, at the end of the war, we started screening the vets for signs of mutation." 8:42:18 PM Light: Light nods. 8:42:45 PM Light: Almost everyone from my lot has mutated. 8:45:48 PM Light: Me and Rust and one doctor, that's it. And Feather, according to you. 8:48:03 PM Nation: Mercius: Well, it's not mutation I'm talking about here, it's something else, something I noticed in your friend and I notcied in others during the war, and after. 8:48:23 PM Light: What's that? 8:54:27 PM Light: Light eyes him. 8:56:39 PM Nation: Mercius: A pattern of mental scarring, the result of a great deal of information imprinted on someone. It was common with couriers duing the war. 8:57:27 PM Light: ... imprinted? 9:00:48 PM Nation: Mercius: Right. The information was magically compressed and, well, stored in someone's subconscious. With the right stimulus, the information was then relayed to whoever sent the stimulus, mentally. The courier was never aware of the information, either. 9:01:41 PM Light: ... our heads are stuffed with... stuff? 9:04:39 PM Light: ... stuff which causes *mental scarring*? 9:05:00 PM Light: Are you telling me I might have killed two people this week because some asshole rammed a bunch of stuff into my brain? 9:07:35 PM Nation: Mercius: What? No, of course not. The process was voluntary. Only casters can compartmentalize enough to relay information like this, but as casters are also necessarily strong-minded, this process only worked on the willing. And the scarring isn't debillitating. It's barely noticeable unless you're looking for it and know what it is when you see it. 9:09:33 PM Light: ... oh. 9:09:49 PM Light: So we let them do it and we forgot about it? 9:12:21 PM Nation: Mercius: No, likely your friend volunteered at some point. 9:14:24 PM Nation: Mercius: The point isn't that I found that scarring, it's that I accidentally triggered it, and got it downloaded into my brain. 9:14:29 PM Light: ... 9:14:34 PM Light: Oh good lord. 9:14:50 PM Light: What did it say? Are you all right? 9:16:28 PM Nation: Mercius: The relay -- the carrier -- doens't know what the information is specifically.The one who activates it does. And it often takes some time for the information to... assimiliate into your own brain. I'm having some issues with that. 9:17:45 PM Light: What kind of issues? 9:17:50 PM Light: And what *is* the information? 9:22:36 PM Nation: Mercius: I really don't know, is the thing. I'm not a swordsman, and I'm learning a lot about sword-fighting. 9:22:57 PM Light: ... swordfighting. 9:23:12 PM Light: Light tries to think of a good question to ask that would determine if he's got ahold of some of the information in the journal. 9:26:25 PM Light: ... the problem is, you may know how to do it but your muscles don't. You're going to need to practice to be any good anyway. What kinds of things do you know how to do? 9:29:07 PM Nation: Mercius: I'm a doctor. My magics are all based on healing. 9:29:39 PM Light: Yes, but what kinds of things are the things in your *head* telling you you know how to do? 9:31:14 PM Nation: Mercius: I don't know, is the problem. I don't see how you could use a sword to do some of these things, eiven with magic. 9:32:03 PM Light: Like what? 9:32:07 PM Light: Light tries not to sound too eager. 9:35:41 PM Nation: Mercius: i don't know! Like... slicing the air and causing an implosion by teleporting the air you slice through, creating a natural vacuum. 9:36:46 PM Light: ((Does that sound like a thing that's doable or a thing from the journal?)) 9:41:45 PM Nation: ((Yep.)) 9:42:20 PM Light: ((Which?)) 9:47:05 PM Nation: ((Oh, a thing from the journal, I mean. It's making magic with a sword, rather than using a sword to make magic, if that makes sense. Definitely Incori.)) 9:47:33 PM Light: ... 9:47:39 PM Light: Do you have any idea where this information came from? 9:50:19 PM Nation: Mercius: I have no idea. Like I said, i dno't have it all yet. I know enough that it's dangerous. 9:51:19 PM Light: Yes. 9:51:22 PM Light: Quite dangerous. 9:51:51 PM Light: I think you should probably come back with me to a safe house. 9:52:39 PM Nation: Mercius: Where? 9:53:25 PM Light: I'd rather not say, but you'll be safe with us. 9:56:13 PM Nation: Mercius: So I am in danger, then? 9:56:26 PM Light: Yes. 9:56:40 PM Light: You're probably safer with us. 9:57:41 PM Nation: Mercius: ... all right, but I need to make some arrangements first. 9:58:03 PM Light: What arrangements? 9:58:27 PM Nation: Mercius: Personal arrangements. Come back here tonight, and I'll be ready to go. 9:58:59 PM Light: Do they involve telling anybody whatsoever about any of this? 9:59:37 PM Nation: Mercius: ... it won't affect you or your friend, if that's what you mean. 9:59:57 PM Light: I'm afraid that someone will find you and kill you. Or find you while you're with us and kill us. 10:00:07 PM Light: Or find you and torture you for the information in your head and also find us. 10:00:24 PM Nation: Mercius: I've managed to survive thus far without you. 10:00:27 PM Light: And you wouldn't have to tell anyone directly to leak information, either. 10:00:30 PM Light: Yes, you have. Somehow. 10:01:15 PM Nation: Mercius: I'll last a few more hours. 10:02:03 PM Light: You realize I could just whomp you on the head and drag you back, right? Actually, I wouldn't even have to drag you. 10:03:25 PM Nation: Mercius: You could. I wouldn't, though. 10:04:30 PM Light: I'm not going to. 10:04:39 PM Light: And I can't meet you tonight. 10:04:46 PM Light: I have to go on a date. I can send someone, though. 10:07:32 PM Nation: Mercius nods. "All right. how will I know?" 10:07:50 PM Light: ... you'll know. 10:08:06 PM Light: Don't get caught. 10:08:22 PM Light: Don't let anything in your head get loose. It's dangerous. It's not normal casting. It's *very* dangerous. 10:09:12 PM Nation: Mercius: I wouldn't know how to *actually* do any of this stuff anyway. 10:10:17 PM Light: Do us all a favor and don't try, Dr. Mercius. 10:10:23 PM Light: Light offers him a hand to shake. 10:12:25 PM Nation: He eyes you warily, than takes your hand. 10:12:49 PM Light: Light shakes his hand. 10:13:01 PM Light: Thank you for your work. 10:13:14 PM Light: Light heads home! Or rather, across the street to the door back. 10:18:23 PM Nation: Okay. You go back to your neighbor's house. 10:19:26 PM Light: Light does. 10:19:34 PM Nation: You find most of the clothes from your wardrobe on the kitchen table. 10:21:02 PM Light: Light blinks. 10:21:08 PM Light: ... why are my clothes here? 10:21:13 PM Light: ... Ruuuuuuuuust? 10:24:03 PM Nation: Rust is cooking again. "I brought them over. YOu needed to dress for your date, right?" 10:24:20 PM Light: Yes. Thank you for your help. 10:24:27 PM Light: ... I think. What are you making now? 10:24:40 PM Nation: Rust: A brisket. 10:25:54 PM Light: ... are you coming with me on my date? 10:25:59 PM Light: Where's Feather? 10:28:32 PM Nation: Rust: She's sleeping. 10:28:44 PM Nation: Rust: ... I would love to come with you on your date! Thank you. 10:29:04 PM Light: I wasn't *asking* you, I just know that *telling* you not to come wouldn't work. 10:29:15 PM Light: ... and backup might be good to have, anyway. She could still turn out to be evil. 10:29:31 PM Nation: Rust: Or interested in you sexually! 10:29:59 PM Light: ... that wouldn't be bad. 10:30:33 PM Nation: Rust: No? Well, good. 10:31:19 PM Light: I don't know if you've noticed, but women aren't exactly falling all over me. 10:31:59 PM Nation: Rust: I have noticed, and frankly, it was all Feather and I talked about while you were away. 10:32:25 PM Light: ... oh god. What did you say? 10:32:39 PM Nation: Rust: Nothing. That was a test. You passed. 10:34:31 PM Light: ... what was it a test *of*? 10:39:56 PM Nation: Rust shrugs. "If you have to ask, you've already failed." 10:40:00 PM Nation: He turns back to cooking! 10:41:45 PM Light: This is going to be one of those days. 10:41:51 PM Light: Light tells him all about what Dr. Mercius said. 10:42:12 PM Light: ... I suppose I'd better get ready. What *should* I wear? 10:42:45 PM Nation: Rust: Just dress nicely. But neutral. No fancy hats. Definitely no feathers. 10:44:37 PM Light: I don't *have* any feathers. 10:44:42 PM Light: And I'm wearing the golem hat. She picked it out. 10:45:51 PM Nation: Rust: All right, that should be fine. Oh... and you probably shouldn't bring your sword. 10:46:34 PM Light: I can't not bring my sword. 10:47:58 PM Nation: Rust: They won't let you in a fancy bistro with a sword as tall as I am. 10:48:17 PM Light: You're not that tall. 10:48:36 PM Light: I can compress it and keep it in my pocket. 10:51:14 PM Nation: Rust: .. all right, that would probably be fine, then. 10:53:10 PM Light: Light picks out some clothes. "I wish Feather were here, I could use the advice." 10:55:38 PM Nation: Rust: You could go wake her, if you wanted. 10:56:21 PM Light: Don't be silly. 10:56:25 PM Light: Light goes and changes. 10:58:25 PM Nation: Okay! You change successfully. 10:59:18 PM Light: Light then eyes Rust. 10:59:36 PM Light: Don't interrupt, all right? You can always send me a message with magic. ... but don't do it a lot, it's distracting. 11:00:13 PM Nation: Rust: You will barely know I'm there. 11:00:23 PM Light: Believe that when I see it. 11:00:28 PM Light: I don't know why I'm nervous. It's not a date. 11:00:38 PM Light: She's not interested. I'm barely interested. It's not a date. 11:03:17 PM Nation: Rust: Whatever you say. 11:03:57 PM Light: She'll be wearing business attire, you wait and see. 11:04:13 PM Light: Light heads off for his date. Nondate? Whatever it is! 11:06:17 PM Nation: Rust nods! And goes to continue making brisket. 11:06:42 PM Nation: you make your way uptown. Couldn't be more different than the slum you just met Dr. M at. 11:07:43 PM Light: Light didn't bring the journal, obviously, but did bring a blank notebook in case they end up working. And his sword is in his pocket, shrunk. 11:08:15 PM Nation: So, you could say, that *is* a greatsword in his pocket. 11:10:17 PM Light: Light would blush if he could hear the DM. Fortunately... 11:11:47 PM Nation: Heh heh. 11:12:46 PM Light: Light goes to his DOOM, or date, or whatever. >.< 11:15:35 PM Nation: Doomdate. 11:15:52 PM Nation: The bistro is actually a very nice place. Small and intimate. 11:17:08 PM Light: Light is a bit relieved. He looks for Moray. Hey, that's another reason it's not a date, right? He didn't have to pick her up. Whew, so definitely not at all a date. No reason to be nervous. 11:19:10 PM Nation: She sees her, sitting at a small table off to the side. There are maybe six other people in the small dining room. Moray looks very good. She's wearing businesspeople clothes, but the cut and fit is very flattering for her. Her hair is down, but not elaborate, and she's inspecting a menu critically. 11:19:46 PM Light: Light thinks: Shit. I can't telllll!!! 11:19:58 PM Light: Light doesn't panic, somehow, and goes to sit down across the table. 11:21:38 PM Nation: She looks up at you and smiles. "Hello, Mr. Light." 11:22:48 PM Light: Just Light. Even students don't say "Mr." I always get "Professored" on the first day. 11:24:03 PM Nation: Moray: Well, everyone has different preferences regarding our silly pseudonyms, don't they? 11:24:27 PM Light: True. I barely remember my original name anymore. 11:29:05 PM Nation: Moray: Same for me. Though that's good thing, by and large. 11:29:22 PM Light: Is it? 11:29:34 PM Light: Was your name awkward? 11:32:21 PM Nation: Moray: It was, yes. 11:33:14 PM Light: Mine too. 11:33:16 PM Light: Light shrugs. 11:33:40 PM Light: I learned magic to bring light to dark places, so it seemed an appropriate choice. 11:35:34 PM Nation: She smiles. "Mine was largely random." 11:35:55 PM Light: I'd wondered. 11:36:10 PM Light: I don't see a lot of resemblance to an eel. 11:37:30 PM Nation: Moray: If I'm completely honest, I may have been drunk when I chose it. 11:38:42 PM Nation: Moray: ... I knew a caster named 'Toilet' in the war. I dno't want to know where that came from. 11:38:57 PM Light: ... wow. 11:39:22 PM Light: I'm having a hard time imagining a backstory for that. ... at least, a non-embarassing backstory for that one. 11:40:45 PM Nation: Moray: Right? There's a grim curiousity, but I can't imagine an origin that isn't disturbing. 11:40:59 PM Light: I don't think I'd've been able to not ask. 11:43:33 PM Nation: Moray: I know people who did ask, and they always got different stories. 11:43:56 PM Nation: Moray: I guess he just liked cultivating a disgusting air of mystery. 11:44:39 PM Light: ... may I ask you a question? ... or more accurately, do you promise not to get annoyed if I ask you yet a third question? 11:45:11 PM Nation: Moray: We're doing good so far. 11:47:49 PM Light: ... is this a date? Or not? Because I can't tell. And I'm apparently more socially awkward than I thought, which in retrospect explains a lot of things. 11:53:34 PM Nation: Moray eyes you. "Define 'date'." 11:53:42 PM Light: Oh god. 11:54:14 PM Light: I have no idea. 11:55:37 PM Light: Light rubs his eyes with his fingers. "I just know I'm sitting in a nice restaurant with an ingelligent, attractive woman and I have no idea what to do. I'd try stumbling through it without knowing, but I'm pretty sure you're too smart to not notice." 11:58:55 PM Nation: Moray: I asked you out because I find you attractive and I hoped we could have an enjoyable discussion. Does that help? 11:59:30 PM Light: Light eyes her. 11:59:34 PM Light: So that's a yes? 11:59:53 PM Light: ... you may have to use a cluebat, I'm told it helps. AM Nation: Moray laughs. "That's a yes." AM Light: Oh, good. I think that's good. AM Light: ... I'm not good at this kind of thing, I should warn you. But I will do my best. AM Nation: Moray: Just relax. It's fine. AM Light: It's been an interesting week. AM Light: Have you any any more visits from .... questionable characters? AM Nation: Moray: Hmm? No, I haven't. I check the vault every day, and everything is where it should be. AM Light: When did you say the original was found? AM Nation: Moray: Three years ago. It was just sitting in an old library that was in a building I had purchased. AM Light: Long after the war. And your husband found it, you'd said. Hmm. I wonder where it was *during* the war. AM Nation: Moray: That I don't know. AM Light: Not really my area of expertise. Since it all ended, I've mostly been working on ritual magic--finding new ways to do things and trimming down the time and effort needed. AM Nation: Moray: Oh? Give me an example. AM Light: Light tells her about the space expansion spell and the cream of tartar. AM Nation: She finds that very interesting! AM Nation: Moray: I've never been much of a cook. What *is* cream of tartar? AM Light: I have no idea. It's used in meringues, though. AM Light: That's the trouble with association magic. AM Light: Something you don't intend always comes through. Sometimes that's all right--I like lemon. AM Light: Sometimes it's less than helpful. AM Nation: Moray: What else are you working on? AM Light: A lot of things. Some improved memory charms, faster wards for bicycles and the like, a spell for maintaining water quality with less personnel and time on a large scale. AM Nation: You spot Rust just over Moray's shoulder, sitting at a table and inspecting a menu. He gives you a thumbs up! AM Light: ... boring things, mostly. AM Light: Light ignores Rust. AM Nation: Moray: I don't think they're boring. We're not at war enemy... we need clean water, not lightning bolts. AM Nation: Behind her, Rust points to his thumbs up vigriously! AM Light: Light still ignores him. AM Light: Yes, well, shooting lightning out of a sword is a lot easier than maintaining water purity, as it turns out. AM Light: Especially on a large scale. AM Nation: Moray: I'd imagine so. How do you stabilize the reaction catalyst? AM Light: That's exactly the problem. AM Light: Light tells her a couple of the methods for doing so that have failed, in-depth. Unless it seems like he's boring her, then he'll back off a little. AM Nation: Moray seems quite interested in all of the magical theory, really. AM Light: Light ends up probably going into a lot of detail that would bore lesser people to teeeeeeeeears, then. And even makes jokes about it and ends up illustrating concepts with salt and pepper shakers. AM Nation: Rust pantomimes falling asleep. AM Light: Light is actually fairly entertaining if you're interested in these topics. He's a good teacher. AM Nation: Moray, however, seems quite engaged and interesting, asking question and laughing when you make jokes. AM Light: Light actually forgets it's supposed to be a date and ends up being moderately charming! AM Nation: Indeed!